Man Group, the global, technology-empowered active investment management firm, today announces it has received authorisation for its local branch in Madrid, which is in the final stages of registration, and is expanding its team with the appointment of Luis Martin as managing director, Iberia sales. 

Luis's appointment strengthens the firm's existing Iberian sales team of five dedicated professionals and includes Kyril Saxe-Coburg, partner and managing director of Iberia sales based in London, and Tasio Del Castano, director of Iberia sales, who has recently relocated from London to Madrid.

The local team, and Iberian clients, will continue to benefit from the support of Man Group's specialist teams in London. Paola Arce, who has been part of the team as sales director since 2011, has been appointed Marketing lead with responsibility for Iberia and LatAm.  

The new office is being launched at a time when the asset management industry in Spain is experiencing a period of significant growth.

Data from Inverco, the Association of Collective Investment Institutions and Pension Funds in Spain, show that in 2021 the volume of funds in Spain invested in international asset managers grew 23.6%, from €220bn in 2020 to €272bn.

Man Group has seen increasing demand from clients in Spain - and Iberia more broadly - for active investment management solutions in both the long-only and alternative space that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns and portfolio diversification benefits across different asset classes. 

In his new role, Luis will focus on developing and servicing relationships with leading Iberian financial institutions. With over 20 years of experience, he joins the firm from BMO Global Asset Management where he served as regional head for Southern Europe and LatAm. He has previously worked for institutions including JP Morgan and BlackRock. 

Steven Desmyter, global head of sales & marketing, said: "There's been an explosion of interest in actively managed investments in Spain, particularly as a result of the very challenging market backdrop this year.  

"The opening of our new office, the recruitment of Luis and the relocation of Tasio represent a significant milestone in terms of our presence in the region. The collective experience of our expanded team, combined with increased proximity to the market, better enables us to work side-by-side with clients as we design solutions for them."

Kyril Saxe-Coburg, partner and managing director of Iberia Sales said: "We are pleased to welcome Luis on board; his extensive knowledge of the market landscape, coupled with his deep understanding of financial products and portfolio management, will help us to serve clients in the region."

"There's a fantastic opportunity here," added Luis Martin, managing director, Iberia sales. "Man Group is passionate about deploying the latest technology to ensure we stay at the forefront of an evolving industry and this is something that clients in Spain are excited about. I'm really looking forward to working with colleagues across engines and strategies to develop innovative responses to some of our clients' most complex investment challenges."